SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Thunderbirds (15-13-1-4) survived a third-period comeback from a desperate Bridgeport Islanders (14-12-6-1) club before picking up a 4-3 overtime win on Friday night at the MassMutual Center.
Starting netminders Joel Hofer and Ken Appleby were ready in the opening 20 minutes for a couple of high-danger scoring chances, as Hofer turned away a pair of point-blank shots from the edge of the crease on Jeff Kubiak, while Appleby stoned reigning AHL Player of the Week Will Bitten on a clean breakaway bid later in the frame.
The Springfield penalty kill also shined in the opening period, killing off a pair of penalties against the league’s fourth-ranked power play, and the scoreless affair carried into the second period. The T-Birds could not push one across on their first man advantage, but on their second chance, Martin Frk pounded a one-timer through Appleby off a slick setup by Mathias Laferriere, making it 1-0 at 4:32 of the second. Laferriere now has points in five straight games he has played. Friday marked his first game back in the lineup after missing the prior 22 due to injury.
Kyle MacLean had an answer for Bridgeport less than four minutes later, tying the game on a slick three-man passing play from Blade Jenkins and Arnaud Durandeau, and the game was tied, 1-1, at 8:17.
The Thunderbirds then received key contributions from a pair of fourth-line skaters, beginning with a slick spinning back pass from Jacob Hayhurst to Keean Washkurak at 13:01. Washkurak’s first goal of the year, a wrister from the right circle, beat Appleby on the stick side and gave Springfield the 2-1 edge. It was Hayhurst’s first point of the season.
4:35 later, Hayhurst was up to more tricks in the offensive zone, backing off the defense with speed before feeding a pass to Dmitri Samorukov at the left point. The blueliner’s slapper made its way toward the goal, where a cutting Steven Jandric deflected it through Appleby, extending the lead to 3-1 at intermission. Jandric’s goal was his first as a T-Bird.
Up by two goals to start the third, the Thunderbirds had to endure a test from a desperate Islanders club that came in having lost eight in a row. William Dufour found a loose puck off a shot block in the slot and slipped it through Hofer at 5:01, bringing the score to 3-2. After the T-Birds were whistled for too many men, Chris Terry rifled home a power play one-timer at 8:43, tying the score.
The tie eventually led into overtime, and for a third time in the season series, Springfield got the extra point as Frk danced across the offensive zone from left wing to right before snapping a wrist shot through Appleby at 3:47 of the extra period.
The T-Birds look for a fifth straight win on Saturday on Throwback Night, where they will don the 1994 Springfield Falcons white jerseys as they face Utica. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. at the MassMutual Center.
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